Freaky Deaky Makes History As One Of The Most Successful Houston Festivals In Years

Written by: Michael PlacenciaAll photos by: Andrew Murillo

There’s always that one festival you go to that instantly captivates your heart, it’s the type of festival you never want to leave. Freaky Deaky is a festival that sticks with you, and truly becomes memorable. Not only was it groundbreaking for Trillvo and the local artists, but it was a monumental success as far as Houston festivals go. It set records as it became a completely sold out festival the Friday before gates opened.

There are so many different aspects to this festival, from the challenges it faced since day 1, to the added fourth stage representing some of Houston’s best local artists, to the amount of effort every single person put into this in order to make the festival what it is. We’re here to fill you in on everything that transpired during these two days of greatness.

Festival Entry

The lines seemed to move slowly at times, but that was also in addition to K-9 units out in full force, scouting for any illegal drugs or substances. Aside from that, lines moved at a steady pace for the most part.

The Stages

Freaky Deaky gave us not three, but FOUR stages this year. We had The Shrine, which is also known as the main stage. This stage was huge and boasted the Freaky Deaky name at the very top in huge letters. Here you could see electronic music heavyweights such as Porter Robinson, Slander, Boombox Cartel, Excision, and last but certainly not least…Kaskade and many more. The Crypt was the stage directly to the right of the entrance, also known as the bass Crypt. This stage held more heavy hitters like 4B, Adventure Club, Zomboy, SayMyName, etc. The crowd for this stage was insane and always hype. The Rising was the only stage that suffered this year. Tucked away towards the back of the fest, the rains that had occurred days before had saturated the ground so much that the grounds in front of the stage itself were covered with vast amounts of mud. Regardless of this, artists such as Spaceprodigi, Liquid Todd, Rinzen, Destructo, and others still played their hearts out.

“It was my first time seeing LSDREAM and he blew my mind. It was trippy and exciting and the beats had me really grooving.”-Nina Lakhiani

Amongst all of these stages was the newly added fourth stage that honored the locals in the best way possible. The Haunted Hallows stage hosted an array of local DJs and producers from Houston. What set this stage apart from the rest, aside from just showcasing local talent, was that it was directly in front of the entrance. It was a completely covered tent with long sweeping chains attached to the top and a graveyard in the front! This was the one stage we found ourselves at the most this weekend since we helped curate it. Local artists like Xwire, Mael, Toast, SJPJ, Wes Walz, Sehven, M.E. Swank, DRU, and many more all blazed the stage. Each with their own unique blend of genres.

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We asked a few of the local djs/producers how it felt to play a festival for the first time ever and here’s what some had to say:

“It felt so unreal. Usually, I’m not one to hop around, or let alone get on the mic…that stage did something. I’ll forever be grateful to Disco Donnie, Trillvo, and Parker Clark for such an amazing experience.”-Xwire/Xavier Diaz

“It was surreal. One of the greatest experiences of my life.”-Toast/Everette Gary

“It was easily my greatest moment so far, to play on a stage surrounded by a bunch of friends and fans, who are all in one place for the love of one thing. MUSIC! It was such an amazing feeling.”-DRU/Andru Delgado

The Vendors

A festival wouldn’t be complete without its selection of vendors. Whether it’s merch or food, this fest had all fronts covered. Disco Donnie had a huge merch stand with a wide array of items and apparel to choose from. The We Rave Hard booth was also there doing what it does best. Local food trucks such as The Burger Joint, Shwarma Point, and more were all present. There was definitely something for everyone. Even healthier food options were made available.

Best Sets

In our opinion, there were no bad sets for the entire weekend; every artist brought their A game. After asking many attendees’ opinions, the general consensus came down to these artists: Kaskade, Zomboy, DRU, Xwire b2b Mael, Sehven b2b M.E. Swank, Porter Robinson, Riot Ten, Excision, and SayMyName. Below you’ll find pics from all of these sets and more from throughout the weekend.

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Each and every artist gave it everything they had. Artists like Kaskade pulled out all the tricks and surprises by mashing up some of his biggest hits with classic songs from bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who. The fact that he played nearly every major song he’s ever made was what made his set one of the best contenders of the weekend. SayMyName gave us nothing short of hype greatness with his Hard Trap bangers. Excision brought the heat as usual and gave an exceptionally grimy set. Locals like DRU, Xwire, & Mael threw down some of the heaviest sets we’ve heard. And Alex Engelmann and Garrett Nelson kept Drum & Bass alive with their duo known as Sabers. But who could forget the exceptionally fueled, high energy Trap set that Sehven and M.E. Swank gave us? That was purely amazing.

Costumes

Freaky Deaky wouldn’t be a Halloween festival without festivalgoers dressing up in some of their favorite costumes. People were definitely creative this year when it came to their costumes. Every person dressed as Spider-Man had a different rendition of the suit. We also saw characters from the Harry Potter universe such as Lord Voldemort. And of course we can’t forget to mention the always present Joker and Harley Quinn. Check out some of the pics below as well as pictures of some of the Freaky Deaky dancers.

What Needs Improvement

Obviously the biggest issue this year was the mud. But with the Freaky Deaky crew putting all of their effort and working tirelessly for days on end, there was only so much that could be done in order to minimize the mud issue. And yet, they still made it work for the most part. The main problems that festivalgoers reported was the need for another water station. There was also a huge request for hand washing stations; Which were nowhere to be found. One last minor issue was the lack of Halloween decor.

All in all, Freaky Deaky didn’t just turn out to be the biggest festival of the year, it was also one of the best festivals of our lives. Trillvo made history by having its very own stage to represent Houston’s local artists. Disco Donnie and the crew worked the hardest they possibly could in order to clear away mud and did an outstanding job. The fact that the festival itself was completely sold out is a testament to how monumental and iconic this event truly was. To everyone who made Freaky Deaky a success, Trillvo thanks you. We thank Disco Donnie, Parker Clark, the entire Freaky Deaky staff, the insanely talented artists on the lineup, and most importantly…you.